The world's tallest buildings

Updated 10:06 PM ET, Sun January 24, 2016

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

The Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – A new megatall skyscraper will dominate the Dubai skyline. Currently unnamed -- 'The Tower', as it's being referred to by its developers for now -- will be built on the Dubai Creek Harbour, and will be 100m taller than Dubai's Burj Khalifa -- a skyscraper that is currently the tallest building in the world. Megatall buildings are defined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) as a builidng over 600 meters (1,968 feet) in height. Height: 928m (3,044ft) Architect: Santiago Calatrava

Jeddah Tower, Saudi Arabia – Another threat to the Burj Khalifa's tallest building title is the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia. The tower is currently under construction and due to top out at 1,000 meters at a cost of $1.23 billion.Height: 3,280ft Architect: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

1 Undershaft, London, UK – In December 2015, plans were unveiled for the 1 Undershaft -- a 300m tall building that could become the City of London's tallest building. Height: 300m (984ft) Floors: 73Architect: Aroland Holdings

Hide Caption

8 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

1 Undershaft, London, UK – 1 Undershaft will sit across the river from London's tallest building, The Shard, which is 9.6 meters taller.

Height: 300m (984ft) Floors: 73Architect: Aroland Holdings

Hide Caption

9 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

432 Park Avenue, New York, U.S. – 432 Park Avenue, the tallest all-residential tower in the western hemisphere, opened its doors in December 2015, recently became the hundredth supertall building in the world.

Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China – Completed in 2015, Asia's tallest building surpasses the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai's Pudong district. Estimated to cost $2.4 billion, its completion marked the end of a project in the financial district stretching back to 1993.

Height: 632m (2073ft) Floors: 128Architect: Jun Xia, Gensler

Hide Caption

11 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

Mecca Royal Clock Tower Hotel, Mecca, Saudi Arabia – Situated close to the Grand Mosque of the holy city of Mecca, the tower complex is one part of the $15 billion King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, seeking to modernize Mecca and accommodate the ever-growing number of pilgrims.

Height: 601m (1972ft)Floors: 120Architect: Dar Al-Handasah Architects

Hide Caption

12 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

One World Trade Center, New York, U.S. – Known as the "Freedom Tower," One World Trade Center stands on part of the site previously occupied by the Twin Towers. It's the highest building in the western hemisphere, and cost $3.9 billion according to Forbes.

Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan – The first skyscraper to break the half-kilometer mark, the world's tallest building between March 2004 and March 2010 is also one of the greenest -- certified LEED platinum in 2011. Designed to withstand the elements, including typhoons, earthquakes and 216 km/h winds, Taipei 101 utilizes a 660-tonne mass damper ball suspended from the 92nd floor, which sways to offset the movement of the building.

Height: 508m (1667ft)Floors: 101Architect: C.Y. Lee & Partners

Hide Caption

14 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China – Construction of Shanghai's third supertall building took 11 years, but the skyscraper dubbed "The Bottle Opener" was met with critical praise and high-end residents when it completed in 2008, including the Park Hyatt Shanghai and offices for Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, and BNP Paribas.

Height: 492m (1614.17ft)Floors: 101Architect: Kohn Pederson Fox

Hide Caption

15 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

International Commerce Center, Hong Kong, China – Hong Kong's tallest building has 108 floors -- but walking around it, you'd get a different story. The city's tetraphobia -- the fear of the number four -- means floors with the number have been skipped, and the International Commerce Center is marketed as a 118-story skyscraper.

Height: 484m (1588ft) Floors: 108Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox

Hide Caption

16 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

Petronas Towers 1 and 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The joint eighth highest completed skyscraper is still the tallest twin towers in the world. Finished in 1996 and inaugurated in 1999, it's been the site of numerous hair-raising stunts. Felix Baumgartner set a then-BASE jump world record in 1999 by jumping off a window cleaning crane, and in 2009 Frenchman Alain Robert, known as "Spiderman," freeclimbed to the top of Tower Two without safety equipment -- and did so in under two hours.

Height: 451.9m (1483ft) Floors: 88Architect: Cesar Pelli

Hide Caption

17 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

Zifeng Tower, Nanjing, China – The architects behind the Burj Khalifa are also responsible for the world's tenth tallest building. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Zifeng Tower in Nanjing completed in January 2010 and sits just above the Willis Tower (previously the Sears Tower) in the rankings, eclipsing the SOM-designed Chicago icon by a mere 7.9 meters (26 ft).

Height: 450m (1476ft) Floors: 66Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Hide Caption

18 of 24

Photos:The world's tallest buildings

Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea – Completed in March 2016, the Lotte World Tower is Seoul's first supertall skyscraper, and is currently the sixth tallest building in the world.

Changsha IFS Tower, Changsha, China – A hotel and office hybrid, this straightforward supertall building by Wong Tung & Partners in Hunan Province's booming capital city is expected to be completed by 2017.

World One, Mumbai, India – The World One skyscraper in Mumbai will be as tall as the Willis Tower, the second tallest building in North America, and will be one of the world's tallest residential structures.